The Institute by Stephen King

My husband loves Stephen King. I think he's read every one of his books. I read a lot of his earlier novels - Salem's Lot, The Stand, The Shining. I admire his creativity and his ability to churn out one story after another, but I haven't read too many of his recent books. Then G finished this one, he moved it to my "to be read" shelf and said, "Read this one next".

Stephen King knows how to develop characters, and I think he's especially good at capturing children. I won't give away any plot secrets, but there are a group of children in this book, and he gives them all personalities and quirks and makes them come alive. The story is a page-turner, and I spent too many nights staying up late trying to get to a good place to stop.... and not finding one. The ending wasn't quite what I wanted, but it probably ended the only way it could. I won't say any more. Recommend - June

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

In my Mother-Daughter Book Club, the Boomers have worked hard to bring out the Millennials, and I feel we are making great progress. One of the Millennials recently thanked all of us for introducing her to reading!! So when one of these lovely young women recently offered to host a meeting AND she had selected a book for us to discuss, I knew I not only would read the book, but I would do everything I could to love it. I can't show up to the meeting and bash her book.

But boy, it will be tough.

Alice falls down while working out at the gym and bumps her head. When she wakes up, she can't remember anything that has happened in the past 10 years. She thinks she's still pregnant and 29 when in fact she is a 39-year-old mother of three who is in the process of a divorce. As Alice struggles to puzzle together her life over these missing years, we are forced to hear about how thin, rich, and privileged she is. And she has a new man who is crazy about her but who she doesn't even know. Somehow she can't remember her children but she can remember her computer password. Go figure. Anyway, the book is FAR too long and repetitive, and the author does the thing I hate most.... manipulates the reader by giving clues the story will go one way when in fact it doesn't - over and over. OK, I need to stop hating it long enough to come up with something positive for the meeting.

I think we can talk about how important the decade is when a woman is in her 30s, when she has passed the frivolous 20s and is getting down to the important stuff. We might talk about how this accident was a good thing for Alice giving her a chance to see her life in a different way. Oh boy, I'm really stretching here. Perhaps I'll just smile and drink a lot of wine. Good plan. - June

The Confession Club by Elizabeth Berg

Recently, I attended a luncheon, and Elizabeth Berg was the guest speaker. As part of the fee for the event, we received a signed copy of this book, her latest in the "Mason" series. She was a delightful author to hear, and I remember reading some of her earlier books and enjoying them. After reading a my recent Russian non-fiction book, I thought something light might be nice for this Thanksgiving weekend.

The novel takes place in the small town of Mason, Missouri. There really are two story lines. Iris, a middle aged woman who runs a baking school and who falls in love with a homeless man, John. That's really the main story. But then Iris is also a part of the Confession Club where a group of multi-generational women get together and confess very personal, sometimes embarrassing things to one another.

This is definitely light reading, and all of the characters in Mason are delightfully feisty individuals. However, the writing gets to be a bit preachy and overly dramatic. Many of the conversations just don't seem realistic to me as one person will ramble on and on about themselves and self-analyze for pages. I did think the women in the Confession Club were interesting and certainly trusting in one another. Their confessions were varied and, for me, that was the best part of the book.

This would be a quick read for a plane ride. Not much more. - June

Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice by Bill Browder

Once again, this is a book that I never would have picked to read were it not for my book club. They drag me kicking and screaming to some of these non-fiction books, but once I get into them, I'm glad for the challenge and the variety it brings to my reading.

This is Bill Browder's story of how he went to Russia where he was very successful in heading up an investment fund. He became a target for the corrupt officials in Russia, and ultimately one of his lawyers was put in prison and died. The first half of his story is about all of the investments he made, and the second half is his fight to bring down the people who killed his attorney. It's a compelling read, and I'm surprised there isn't a movie in the works. Maybe there is.

While the story is intriguing, the writing is not the best. Browder goes too far into detail over minute pieces of information (what he was eating, detailed physical descriptions of each character, etc.). Plus he appears to be rather arrogant at times and self-involved. In his defense, this is HIS story, and so we only get his side of what happened in each event. But I found it a bit uncomfortable at times.

I did learn things about Russia I didn't know before. And I learned about the law that he pushed for and that was eventually passed. So I look it as an educational read, not necessary an entertaining one. - June

Reviews from BT

Now it's time to hear from BT and see what she's been reading and what she's thinking.....

She just finished The Idiot by by Elif Batuman. It was a Pulitzer finalist, but she felt disoriented half the time. She doesn't recommend it although it gets decent reviews. (Maybe not everyone loves it since it's available now for $1.99 on Kindle.)

BT thinks Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason is an excellent read. A WWI med student serves as field doctor. I'm adding it to my wish list now.

And she also read In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume. Her thoughts on this one were that it was kinda jumbled like she asked different authors to take and develop a character and then attached them together in a novel. Doesn't sound so great, huh?

Finally, she doesn't feel that Ken Follet's book, The Third Twin, was up to standards. Did he really write this one?

Thanks, BT!

The Heavens May Fall by Allen Eskens

Who doesn't love a good who-dunnit with a vulnerable detective and lots of twists and turns? This was a fast read, and one that had me guessing til the end. Yes, parts were predictable and a few things were unrealistic, I'm sure. But it still made for a good read. Or I think this would probably make a good book to listen to in the car.

I won't give anything away..... but a wealthy woman has died and the prime suspect is her husband. Proving it was him isn't easy especially when there are other secrets that come out along the way.

Just all fun without heavy lifting. -June

Dear Mrs. Bird by A. J. Pearce

Oh no! Not another World War II book! Yes, another one but with a slightly different viewpoint.

This is rather tough to describe. It's about a young girl in London during the war. She wants to be a war correspondent at a newspaper, but ends up typing responses to an advice column in a women's magazine. She also volunteers at the local fire station where calls come in at night after the bombings.

The book is a combination of romance and lightheartedness at times and then the gruesomeness of war at other times. It's also one of those stories where everything goes wrong at about the 90% mark and all seems to be lost...... and then suddenly everything turns around (quite predictably) and there's a happy ending.

It's interesting to read about women's roles in London during the Blitz and the death and destruction the citizens endured. All very eye-opening. So it's hard to describe the book as a "light" story, but it is a bit of a romance/chick lit kind of book. - June

The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan

I can't recall who recommended this novel, but I know it's been on my Amazon wish list for ages. When I saw it was available from the library, I decided to give it a try. While it held my interest throughout because I wanted to know how it ended...... it was not the greatest book I've read recently. But it is decent chick lit.

The story revolves around several couples over many years. At first, there appears to be no connection between them, but soon you can figure out what ties them together. There's also the story of Frances Gerety, the real-life woman who worked for an ad agency and wrote the line "A Diamond is Forever". Her story is quite interesting and she certainly was a successful career woman at a time that there weren't many others.

The writing is good but the book definitely needed more editing. The author had done a lot of research about times and places, and she seemed to want to include everything she'd learned into the book. It could have been reduced by at least 25% and been a better book. - June

The Master Plan by Chris Wilson

I've mentioned before - and I'll say it again - being in a book club often gets me out of my literature rut and forces me to read books I normally would not choose. This one was selected by my Mother-Daughter club, and we all enjoyed the book as well as the discussion about it.

Chris Wilson is a black man who grew up in a rough neighborhood in DC. The first third of the book focuses on his childhood, his dysfunctional and sometimes violent family, and his friends. He had a few nice memories of his mother, but she was also an abused wife and became abusive herself. He ran in a rough crowd and dropped out of school after 8th grade. After his cousin is murdered, he starts carrying a gun for protection.... until the night he shoots a man, kills him, and is sentenced to life in prison at 17.

The second portion of the book describes his life in prison and how he works to turn himself around. He develops a Master Plan that includes a list of things he wishes to accomplish including getting his GED, going to college, helping others, etc. As he accomplishes each goal, he marks it as "done" on his list, and every year he sends a copy to his mother (who ignores them) and to the judge who gave him his sentence. This part of the book was my favorite as it really helps view what his life was like in prison.

Chris eventually is released from prison and devotes his time continuing to achieve the items on his Master Plan. He speaks to groups about his life in hopes of motivating others. He is a good man. However, the final part of the book left me (and others) a little cold. Perhaps he wrote the book too soon before he had the chance to do the good things he hoped to do. However, that doesn't take away from the overall quality of the book. Definitely recommend this one. - June

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks

I know I'm repeating myself when I say this but.... I just love when an author has a creative idea and manages to pull it off in a novel. In Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, the narrator of the book is Budo, Max's imaginary friend. The beauty of this technique is that Budo loves and understands Max's behavior. Although it's never stated in the book, Max is autistic.

Because Budo can only be seen by Max, he is able to move around his world and overhear conversations that help fill in parts of the plot that would not be known if someone else was narrating. And because Budo is the same age as Max, his knowledge of things is like that of a child which makes easily lovable.

I won't give away the plot, but something scary happens to Max, and Budo is able to help him get out of the situation. I found the book to be heartwarming and a quick, easy read. Highly recommend. -June

This is How it Always Is by Laurie Frankel

Sometimes I read a book review, decide it sounds interesting, put it on my wish list, and when I see it's available at the library or on sale at Amazon, I grab it.... but totally forget what it's even about. That's what happened with This is How it Always Is. (BTW, this is a totally forgettable title. I can not seem to remember it.)

The book is about a lovable family... a mother, father, and 5 sons. Quite soon into the novel, the youngest son, Claude, decides he prefers to wear dresses. The remainder of the book deals with how the family handles Claude as he eventually becomes Poppy. And how their extended family and friends respond. You can't help but ask yourself, "What would I do" - as a parent, as a friend.

I thought this book was fascinating, and even more fascinating when I read at the end that the author has a daughter who was born male. The author handles a difficult subject with love. - Highly recommend. - June

Us Against You by Richard Bachman

"People we love will die. We will bury our children beneath our most beautiful trees."

The sequel to Beartown, Us Against You, does not disappoint. I still prefer the original, but this is another fabulous read by a very talented author. The book picks up where Beartown left off, but even if you haven't read the first book, you will enjoy the second.

If I'm picky (and I am), I think there's too much time spend summarizing Beartown in the sequel. I understand that we need to be reminded about what happened and there may be new readers who need to catch up, but it seemed a large part of Us Against You was spend filling in the facts. My other complaint is that the author is a master of foreshadowing... to the point where I was going crazy with it! He continually teases the reader with what's to come. Get on with it!!

All that being said, his characters are beautifully developed and the writing is superb. Highly recommend. - June

Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan

There must be something wrong with me. Everyone loves this book! It gets 4.5 stars on GoodReads! The story sounds riveting..... A young Italian teenager helps guide Jews over the mountains into Switzerland during WWII. And it's based on a real person who was interviewed by the author! Sounds like a winner doesn't it?

It reminds me a bit of Unbroken by Laura Hillebrand. Both books are based on true stories. And both authors had the opportunity to interview the "heroes" who overcame tremendous obstacles and yet somehow survived. Both men were brave and sacrificing. And when I read both of these books, I read them in disbelief. Yes, I think that in both cases, either the men themselves or the authors made the individuals into superheroes and completely unbelievable to me.

Yes, I do believe that Pino Lella did assist the Jews into making their way into Switzerland, and he risked his own life to do so. But the specific actions and the dialogue created by the author makes it seem over the top. This book needed editing. And then maybe more editing. Sorry. This is one of the few books that I just can't finish. - June

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

After a friend insisted I read this book, I finally got my hands on a copy. And I did enjoy the book... but perhaps not as much as my friend did. The novel does have some interesting characters. It's hard not to cheer for the protagonist, a young girl who lives in a swamp and when her family all desert her,  and she literally raises herself. Reading about her ingenuity and her determination is fascinating. She somehow manages to feed herself and with the help of a few kind people along the way, she starts to thrive and even become educated. She is very connected to the swamp, it's wildlife, and nature, and this is one of the many interesting parts of the book.

My only negative is the romantic part of the story. I'm not against a nice love angle in a book, but parts of the story read like a romance novel. I recommended this book to Carla because I think is takes place near the Outer Banks. And I recommend it to anyone who is interested in nature in that area of the country. - June

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Pachinko is a family saga that takes place in Korea and Japan. It explores the dynamic between Koreans and Japanese in the early 20th century. I admit I knew little if anything about the life of Koreans who lived in Japan during this time. Asian history isn't something I've studied, and it certainly wasn't taught in any classes I took. So for me, this book was extremely educational. For that, I liked it very much.

However, the book is long. Way too long. I think the beginning of the book was excellent, and it could have ended there and I would have been happy. But the author continued through several generations of Koreans living in Japan, and so as the book progressed, new family members are added. And other abruptly die - often shockingly.

Overall, I think it's well written. However, the author often repeated herself which is one of my pet peeves. A woman would be described as extremely beautiful, and whenever that woman appeared afterwards, we would be reminded over and over of her beauty. Ok, already. I get it.  There was a strong emphasis on women's looks. The other thing that bothered me is that chapters would skip ahead two years or four years, and often this shift in time would occur just as something really surprising and interesting was happening. I found this frustrating.

I read another review that said the first part was great, the middle was ok, and the last part was disappointing. I agree. So I recommend it for the historical perspective and the educational value. And that's it. -June

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney

It's New Year's Eve 1984 and Lillian Boxfish is going to dinner. She has lived the majority of her 80+ years in Manhattan, and although she sees negative changes in her city, she never tires of walking the streets of NYC. She decides to walk past some of her previous homes on her way to the restaurant. As she does, she jumps back in time and tells the stories from her past.

Lillian has led a fascinating life. She was successful in her career in the 30's and 40's when she worked in the advertising department at Macy's. She marries, has a son, and writes books of poetry. I won't give away any more.

Although this is fiction, it is based on a real woman who also wrote poetry and was in advertising at a time when it was dominated by men.

The book slowed at times but overall I enjoyed hearing about Lillian's life. The book is written in the first person, and since Lillian was a woman who loved writing and words, I found some of the word choices to be a bit stiff and pretentious. But maybe that was just Lillian's style. Anyway, I do recommend it as an interesting read - especially for someone who loves New York. - June